NFL Week 6 wrap-up: Wild finishes, fantasy studs and duds and the last of the unbeatens

The Rams are the last of the NFL’s unbeaten and untied teams. Todd Gurley and his friends from sunny Los Angeles held on Sunday to beat the Broncos 23-20 in Denver, where the game-time temperature was 25 degrees.

The Rams (6-0) sit alone atop the mountain because of what transpired in Sunday night’s game between the Chiefs and the Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. Our Week 6 wrap-up begins there.

Sunday’s best games

Patriots 43, Chiefs 40

A passing-of-the-torch game? Not so fast.

After a sluggish first half, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs gave the Patriots (4-2) all they could handle in New England. But those dependable old pros Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Stephen Gostkowski did their thing and dealt the Chiefs (5-1) their first loss of the season — and Mahomes his first career loss as a starter.

As for the generational QB battle, the 23-year-old Mahomes threw two first-half interceptions but wound up with 352 passing yards and four second-half touchdowns, including a 67-yarder and a 75-yarder. Brady passed for 340 passing yards and one TD with no picks. The 41-year-old Brady also showed his legs still have a little life, running for a 4-yard TD.

A rematch in the playoffs would be fun.

Steelers 28, Bengals 21

The Bengals had a one-point lead in the final minute at home with a chance to improve to 5-1 and drop their hated rival to 2-3-1. But Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown weren’t finished.

Roethlisberger and Brown hooked up for a 31-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to give the Steelers their second straight win. It gave Bengals fans a familiar sick feeling as the Steelers have won 16 of the last 18 meetings at Paul Brown Stadium, including two in the playoffs.

The Steelers are only a half-game behind the Bengals and Ravens, division co-leaders, and they are expected to get Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell back for their next game in Week 8.

Dolphins 31, Bears 28 (OT)

For those who don’t think an ugly game can also be a lot of fun to watch, we present Exhibit A.

In the last nine-plus minutes of regulation and through overtime, this one featured:

— Touchdowns of 43, 29 and 75 yards

— A fumble by each team, one on the opposing team’s goal line in overtime

— A missed field-goal attempt in overtime, and

— A 47-yard field goal by a rookie kicker to win it.

MVP watch

Stock up: Tom Brady, Patriots

Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Tom Brady was masterful in guiding the Patriots to a thrilling victory against the previously unbeaten Chiefs on Sunday night.

Tom Brady was masterful in guiding the Patriots to a thrilling victory against the previously unbeaten Chiefs on Sunday night. (Jim Rogash / Getty Images)

The three-time (and defending) NFL MVP gets a boost after his Patriots took down the undefeated Chiefs on Sunday night. The touchdown numbers — one passing, one rushing — don’t stand out, but he beat the betting favorite, Patrick Mahomes, in a head-to-head matchup, throwing 35 passes and no interceptions. Mahomes certainly didn’t hurt himself with his performance in a hostile environment in prime time. He bounced back after two first-half picks with four second-half TDs, showing of his cannon arm with two bombs.

Stock down: Jared Goff, Rams

Unlike Mahomes’ Chiefs, Goff’s Rams remained unbeaten Sunday. But unlike Mahomes, Goff didn’t put up MVP-like numbers in the Mile High chill. He finished 14-of-28 for 201 yards, no TDs and one interception against the Broncos. Goff’s MVP chances are limited because another candidate lines up in the backfield with him. Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for a career-best 208 yards and two TDs, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Gurley is fighting the pro-QB bias among voters that has yielded just one running back MVP in the last 11 years. Even if the Rams finish as the best team in the league, it’s likely Goff and Gurley will wind up splitting MVP votes.

Fantasy studs and duds of the week

STUDS

Melvin Gordon III, RB, Chargers at Browns

Ron Schwane / AP

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns Sunday in Cleveland.

And the “III” stands for touchdowns. Gordon totaled three trips to the end zone for a second time this season. His monster day (34 fantasy points) trailed only Todd Gurley II in Week 6. By the way, the Roman numeral after-party is at Will Fuller V’s house this time.

Albert Wilson, WR, Dolphins vs. Bears

Wilson looked like Andre Rison out there, slipping past Bears defenders for touchdowns of 43 and 75 yards. Wilson is like the Dolphins’ answer to Taylor Gabriel, a shifty speedster whom the team uses on gadget plays. But on this day he just flat-out gouged the Bears secondary the old-fashioned way, notching 155 yards and two scores on six catches for 30 fantasy points, fourth highest among non-quarterback skill position players through Week 6’s afternoon games. Wilson paid off big time as a bargain-basement flier for those who played him in DFS.

Jason Myers, K, Jets vs. Colts

You know a kicker really had to do something special to make this list. Myers was perfect on a franchise-record seven field-goal tries as well as three extra-point attempts. That’s 24 points in real-life terms, but with three field goals longer than 40 yards he notched 27 points in fantasy, easily eclipsing last week’s previous season-best showing by the Panthers’ Graham Gano (19). When your kicker scores 27 points, odds are you won.

DUDS

Derek Carr, QB, Raiders vs. Seahawks

If Blake Bortles or Marcus Mariota failed to reach 150 yards through the air or score, you might shrug it off, but much more was of expected of Carr, who was supposed to take a leap under an offensive mind like Jon Gruden. It’s past time for Carr apologists to come to reality about who he is — not a tier-1 quarterback. With Sunday’s meager 8.8-point showing (standard format), Carr has finished under 15 fantasy points in 10 of his last 15 games dating to last season and has surpassed 20 points only once.

Dion Lewis, RB, Titans vs. Ravens

Lewis has regressed to the point that he’s useless even in PPR leagues. He racked up 110 total yards with five catches and a touchdown in Week 1, but since then he has topped four catches or 50 yards from scrimmage only once — Week 4 against the Eagles. Against the Ravens on Sunday he had five rushes for 9 yards and two catches for 5. And if you’re keeping score at home, backfield mate Derrick Henry didn’t fare much better: 26 total yards on eight touches.

Quincy Enunwa, WR, Jets vs. Colts

When your player’s team racks up 42 points yet your so-called WR1 ends up with negative points (-0.60, 9 yards with a fumble lost), that’s enough to have you yelling at inanimate objects in frustration like Odell Beckham Jr.

Play of the week

Don’t look, Bears fans. Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson took a short pass 75 yards past a gassed Bears defense to tie the game at 28-28 with 3:01 left in regulation.

Almost the play of the week

On the final play of the Bucs’ 34-29 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta, it looked for a second like Tampa Bay might flip the result. Bucs receiver DeSean Jackson (11) certainly thought so.

Stat of the week

Leonard “Pretty Boy” Floyd

Wrestlers and other popular real-life and fictional characters the Bears’ Floyd was compared to on social media after his “pumphandle slam” of Dolphins wide receiver Danny Amendola:

— Stone Cold Steve Austin

— John Cena

— Captain Insano

— Bobby Boucher

— Kenny Omega

— Khabib Nurmagomedov

Cam Newton’s closet

Let’s just say Newton had his hat handed to him. He stepped off the team bus wearing a Draw-4 and an “Uno” card in his hat band, signifying improving to 4-1 with a win against the Redskins, but they reversed it on him. Hat tip to Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger, who posted a close-up photo of Newton’s hat to Instagram with the caption “#HUMBLE YASELF!!!!!!”

The road to Atlanta

NFC North: The Bears (3-2) are still alone in first place but by only a half-game over the Vikings (3-2-1), with the Packers (2-2-1) playing on Monday night. And the Patriots visit Soldier Field on Sunday. Uh-oh.

NFC South: The first-place Saints (4-1) had the week off and were thrilled to see their closest pursuers the Panthers (3-2) and Bucs (2-3) both lose. The desperate Falcons improved to 2-4.

NFC West: The Rams won. Ho-hum. But holding off the Broncos in the cold of Denver to improve to 6-0 is noteworthy. The Seahawks (3-3) destroyed the Raiders in London.

AFC North: The Steelers (3-2-1) edged the Bengals (4-2), and the Ravens (4-2) manhandled the Panthers. This division should be a bruising battle all year, with even the Browns competitive.

AFC South: Woof. The Jaguars (3-3) and Titans (3-3) were embarrassed on Sunday, while the Texans (3-3) beat the lowly Bills … by seven points. This could be the worst division in the league.

AFC East: The Dolphins (4-2) stayed unbeaten at home to keep pace with the Patriots (4-2), who knocked off the previously unbeaten Chiefs. Don’t look now, but the Jets improved to 3-3.

AFC West: The Chiefs (5-1) are no longer unbeaten, but they showed plenty of mettle in a slugfest in New England. Don’t sleep on the Chargers (4-2), whose only losses have come against the Rams and the Chiefs.

Monday Night Football

49ers (1-4) at Packers (2-2-1) 7:15 p.m., ESPN

The Packers haven’t been the explosive team we’re used to, averaging a middling 23 points per game so far. The 49ers have actually scored three more points than the Packers. Both of these teams are banged up, but the 49ers are last in the league in takeaways and Aaron Rodgers & Co. are unbeaten at home this season.